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research statement

My research program examines the role of cultural belief systems (e.g., religion, environmental beliefs, service cultures, health care culture, cultures of vulnerability, celebrity culture) in shaping consumer behavior and well-being. Specifically, I am interested in exploring how consumers react to internal and external threats to their cultural belief systems through subsequent emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. I conduct this research in important substantive domains such as health care, pro-environmental decision making, food and health, media, and vulnerable communities. My research also includes high-quality research collaborations with industry leaders in service and retail, such as the Mayo Clinic, that build theory while also informing practice and policy. Current projects utilize multiple methodologies including lab and online experiments, surveys, ethnography, and field experiments. Through my research, I aim to promote consumer, service provider, societal, and environmental well-being via consumer confessions, food morality, health care interactions and policies, and retail configurations.

Abstract: When consumers fail in their dieting, environmental, or budgeting goals, they may confess to friends or family about their bad behavior. My dissertation seeks to understand how consumer confession affects emotional well-being and subsequent consumer behaviors. Across a series of studies, I find that contrary to intuitions, confessing (vs. merely reflecting) about a past environmental transgression increases negative self-conscious emotions (guilt and shame), which motivate subsequent repentant green behaviors. Furthermore, as a result of differing religious ideologies, Catholics (vs. Non-Catholics) are most likely engage in compensatory behaviors after confessing, as means to seek forgiveness and absolution.

“The Effects of Retail Layouts on Consumer Moral Self-Regulation during Shopping Experiences.” Daniele Mathras, John L. Lastovicka, Per Kristensson, and Anders Gustafsson (Research to be conducted with large grocery chain).